Food Tips

• The water in which vegetables has been cooked and leftover vegetables should be used for making soups. (Vegetable vitamins and minerals are often water soluble, don’t throw out the water).
• A quick way to cut raisins and other sticky foods is to use wet scissors. Dip the scissors in water to keep the fruit from sticking.
• To remove nut meats whole, pour boiling water over the nuts and let stand overnight before cracking.
• Ice water is conducive to tender pastry. Pastry can be handled more easily if chilled before rolling.
• Grease measuring cup slightly before measuring molasses.
• To stop grease from popping from the frying pan, sift about ¼ t flour into it.
• If soup is too salty, drop into it a slice of raw potato and boil for 5-6 mins. The potato will extract some of the salt. Amount of potato to use will depend on how salty the soup is.
• To sour sweet milk, add one teaspoon vinegar to one c milk, or 2 teaspoons lemon juice to one c milk.
• To sweeten sour milk, add a pinch of baking soda.
• To whip top milk add one-fourth teaspoon lemon juice to one c top milk and whip just before serving.
• When scalding milk to keep it from sticking, first rinse the pan in cold water.
• When beating eggs, add a pinch of salt.
• Add a pinch of salt to cream to help it whip more quickly.
• After peeling bananas, dip in lemon juice to prevent discoloration.
• Put peaches into a bowl of milk to prevent darkening after peeling.
• To peel tomatoes easily insert fork into stem end of tomato-hold over lighted gas burner turning constantly, when skin bursts remove from fire and remove skin.
• To peel oranges or grapefruit entirely from the membranous of white pulp underneath skin, place them in hot water for five minutes.
• If a vegetable or cereal burns plunge pot containing burned mass into cold water. Allow it to remain for a few minutes before pouring contents into another pan. This will get rid of the burned taste.
• When measuring solid fat use the measuring cup and cold water method. If ½ c fat is amount desired, fill cup ½ full of water, drop fat into water until the water reaches 1 c mark. Discard water, correct fat amount remains.
• To absorb odors when cooking cauliflower or strong greens, place the end crusts of bread on top of the pot.
• When boiling eggs, use room temperature eggs and salt water to prevent them from cracking.
• Cheese grates more readily if it is chilled.
• The layers of a cake will come out without sticking if you place the pans on a damp cloth when you take them from the oven.
• If your boiled cake icing will not set, put the cake into a warm oven for 4 or 5 mins. Don’t leave it too long or the frosting will harden.
• Make a solution of 1 qt water and 1 Tablespoons salt to put, pears or apples into after removing peel. This will prevent discoloration.

Cleaning and Stains

• Use milk to remove ink stains from fabrics.
• To remove grease stains from your oven, allow a cup of ammonia to stand in it overnight. They can be easily wiped out in the morning.
• To clean a burnt or greasy pan, put on inch of water in the pan, and add one teaspoon or more soda. Then heat the water to the boiling point.
• Use a slice of raw potato to remove vegetable stains from the fingers.
• Rub your hands with celery to remove onion odors.
• Put a silver spoon in a glass dish before pouring in hot liquid to keep the dish from breaking.